Tuesday, July 10, 2012

-USAtodayMcLEAN, Va. – USA TODAY named David Callaway its new editor-in-chief Tuesday, ending a seven-month search that began when former editor John Hillkirk stepped down to head the paper's investigative team late last year.Callaway, 48, who has been editor-in-chief at financial news site MarketWatch and its predecessor, CBS MarketWatch, since 2003, will oversee the overall content strategy for USA TODAY and be responsible for furthering the digital transformation of the newsroom. "It's one of the best opportunities in American journalism," says Callaway, who will relocate here from San Francisco later this month. "It's a famous, iconic brand. It's a different type of newspaper from other national newspapers. It has a focus. It reflects America as America is."USA TODAY Publisher Larry Kramer, who joined the multiplatform news and information media company earlier this year, was Callaway's boss at MarketWatch. Kramer was founder, chairman and CEO of MarketWatch from 1997 to 2005, when it was sold to Dow Jones.With USA TODAY in the midst of transformation to a digital-first news organization, Kramer sought to hire an editor who had experience in both traditional and new media. Callaway successfully ran a newsroom at MarketWatch that produced regular TV, radio, digital and mobile news products, Kramer says. "I know that he will be an excellent addition to the USA TODAY team," Kramer says. "He is one of the best journalists I have ever worked with, and he did a fantastic job building MarketWatch's newsroom into a digital powerhouse. He's also a great leader."

Like many other news organizations, USA TODAY, which is owned by Gannett, has cut staffing and print news pages in recent years amid a decline in print advertising. But Callaway says he was enticed by a flurry of changes in the newsroom and foresees a period of growth. "I get the sense that USA TODAY is in the beginning of a very strong run. It's coming together with the digital age. The print product is strong. All sorts of plans are going on. It seemed like a great chance for me to jump in and be part of a huge growth spurt in an American journalistic icon," he says.

Callaway joined MarketWatch in 1999, where he also held the positions of executive editor and managing editor. He won two Society of American Business Editors and Writers awards for a weekly commentary column he wrote for 12 years.He was a securities industry reporter at Bloomberg and led a team of financial reporters throughout Europe covering banking, investment banking and asset management. At the Boston Herald, he co-wrote a daily financial column on comings-and-goings in the Boston business district.

Callaway has a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is married to Nanci Tolan Callaway, and they have a daughter, Alexandra, 18.Susan Weiss, who led the newsroom during the transition, will continue in her role as executive editor.